Animated book



March 27, 1945. 5, J ZAFFO ETAL ANIMATED BOOK- Filed bee. '7, 1944 Patented Mar. 27, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ANIMATED BOOK George J. Zafio' and Alexander Dutch,

' Mount Vernon, N. Y.

Application December 7, 1944, Serial No. 567,020 9 Claims. (ems-36y This invention relates to a mechanism for mechanical toy, of the card variety.

In the making of. animated cards, that is cards having moving parts, such as are often assema bled in books or the like, it is frequently desirable to provide a rotating part. The. present constructions, however, for that purpose are not satisfactory. Some of these constructions are so expensive as unduly to increase the cost, and some are incapable of efiecting a real rotation of the part, but are limited to an oscillation thereof througha small angle.

It is an object of this invention to provide a construction whereby such a rotation may be performed with a minimum number of parts and with simplicity of construction, but which nevertheless will be capable of giving as complete a rotation of the rotating element as may be desired and which will operate smoothly without binding. I

Fig. 1 is a, front view of a device embodying this invention in theform of a propeller of an airplane or the like; Fig. 2 is a view of the sheet from which therack member is formed. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 showing the manner in which the sheet is folded, to form the rack member. Fig. 4 is a detail of the punchings of the front sheet of thedevice. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the gear. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the propeller. Fig. 7 is a front elevation of a modification of the device embodied inthe form of a paddle-wheelpartly.emersed in water. Fig. 8 is a plan of the member from which the rack is formed-for this modification. Fig. 9 shows the way in which the member isfolde'd, to form the rack. Fig. 10 is a. fragmentary View showing the manner in which the front card is cut. Fig. 11 is a plan of the-gear member used in this modiiication.

In accordance with this invention, there is provided a card I 0 upon which there maybe depicted some device, as for as example, an airplane not here shown, and in the proper location thereon there is mounted a propeller H. The construction of this invention providesthe mechanism by which this propelleris mounted for rotation and by which its rotation can be achieved, in order to give verisimilitude to the device depicted.

This propeller, as shown in Fig. 6, is stamped from a sheet of cardboard or the like-with three propeller blades [2 equally spaced round its cen-.

, cardboard or the-like has teeth l5 spaced around its periphery like a mechanical gear, and it has a number of slits l6 corresponding to the number of tabs, concentrically spaced around and disposed as shown here at angles of 120 degrees from each other, to receive the tabs [3, when the tabs l3 are bent at right angles to the plane of the propeller. The sheet Ill is provided with an openin ll of a size to fit snugly over the tabs l3 when bent at right angles to the plane. These tabs thus substantially form a part of a cylindrical surface and serve as a bearing rotating in the said opening.

In assembling the device, the tabs l3 are bent as specified, and are extended through the opening I7, then the slits l6 of gear 14 are fitted over the ends of the tabs l3 on the far side of the paper and the ends are bent out, as shown in Fig. 2; at [8. .Thus, the gear and the propeller form an element when connected which may be rotated within the opening II with the tabs I3 constituting the shaft.

The'rack member comprises a sheet having a plurality-of openings 2| arranged on a line 22 parallel to the edge of the sheet, such size and spacin that when the sheet is folded along the line 22, the" teeth I5of' the gear I4 may successfully pass through the openings 2| shown in Fig.

' 2. In assembling this part, the sheet is folded along the line 22 and slipped over one of the teeth l5 and laid flat against the sheet H]. In this position, the sheet 20 is in position to serve as'a rack meshing with the gear Hi. It is necessary,

however, that the parts be held together while the rack is moved longitudinally so as to keep the parts in mesh. Any method of holding the parts in engagement to permit straight line motion of the rack may be employed, for example, we may cut'from the body of the sheet l0, 0- shaped openings 24 and we may cut from the sheet 2i) longitudinal slots 25. Thereupon, the center of the C-shaped tabs may be folded up, and inserted through the slots 25 thereby substantially confining the sheet 20 to a sliding motion parallel to the slots and thereby holding the openings 2| in mesh with the gear teeth.

Ordinarily, we prefer to fold the sheet 20 with the short end 26 folded down between the body 21, of the member 20 and the sheet I0, so that the foldedportion 26 is held down by pressure of gear [4 against the" sheet I 0. This construction makes it possible forthe body 21 to overlie the projecting portion of the tabs 13 after they have passed thru the gear l4 and have been bent outwardly as described.

In the modification in Fig. 7, the rotating part comprises a paddle-wheel 40 of a boat or the like pivoted in an opening 4| in the sheet l and having its lower edge extending through a slit 42 in that sheet. The opening M and slit 42 being spaced with each other in such position that the lower edge of the paddle-wheel 40 will be concealed as though it was rotating underwater. In this embodiment, the shaft upon which the paddlefwheel lll rotates is formed by two slots 43, each having substantially radial edges 44 connected by a concentric curve 4 5 These slots are bent up and concave sufficiently to cause them to pass through the opening Ill and are then flattened out on the rear side-pf the sheet, thus forming at once an axis row the rotation of the paddle-wheel, and a means for holding the paddle-wheel in place upon the sheet In. The rack 45 is similar to the rack except in this instance it is upside down and is posi .tione'd .to engageaidirectly projections 46, then the periphery of the paddle-wheel so that the paddle-wheel itself becomes the drving gear. The projections 46 when appearing upon the face of the toy are designed to appear as the blades of the paddle-wheel, but they are also shaped to serve as the gear teethwhenthey pass .to the back of the main sheet.

The rack is mountedfor longitudinal movement by means of tabs 48 cut from the main sheet extending through slots 49 in the rack member as in the first embodiment.

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction and difierent embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description tor shown in the accompanying drawing :shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention. hereindescribedand all statements of .the scope of the inventionwhich as a matter of language might be said to falltherebetween- Having described our invention, what we claim as new and'desire to 'Secui'e by Letters Patent, is: ha -mechanical element for animated toys comprising acard member. having a hole therein serving as a bearing for a rotary member, arotary card member having a plurality of radially ;-extending tabs concentrically spaced about the'axis of rotation and adapted to extend through said hole and serve as a journaltherein, said. card member having a circular periphery and teeth equally spaced around saidperiphery and extending outwardly therefrom, and a rack member slidlably mounted on'said card, constructed to engage said teeth.

7 2. A mechanical element for animated toys comprising a card member having a hole therein iii 3. A mechanical element for animated toys comprising a card member having a, hole therein serving as a bearing for a rotary member, a rotary card member having a plurality of radially extending tabs concentrically spaced about the axis of rotation and adapted to extend through said hole and serve as a journal therein, said card member having a circular periphery and teeth equally spaced around said periphery and extending outwardly therefrom, and a rack member sli'dably mounted on said card, said rack member comprising a sheet of card board folded parallel to one edge to embrace the edge of said rotary member and having space holes along thefold through which the teeth extend, said c'ard member and said rack member having sliding bearing comprising slits cut through one of said members parallel to the direction of motion and tabs cut from the other said member adapted to extend through said slits.

4. A mechanical element for animated toys comprising a card memberhaving a hole therein serving as a bearing for a rotary member, arotary card member comprising a front element having a plurality of radially extending tabs concentrically spaced about the axis of rotation and adapted to extend through saidhole and serve as a journal therein, and a back member having 'slots to fit over said tabs on the other side of said card :member, said back memberrhaving a circular periphery and teeth equally spaced around said periphery and extending outwardl therefrom, and a rack member mounted on said card in position :toengage said teeth.

5. 'A mechanical element for animated toys comprising acard member having a hole therein serving as abearing for a :rotary member, a rotary card 'membercomprising a front element having a plurality of radially extending tabs-concentrically spaced about the axis of rotation and adapted to extend through said :hole and serve as "a journal .therein, and a "back member having slots to 'Tfit, over said tabs on the other side of said card member, said back member having -a *cir- 'cular periphery and teeth equally spaced around said periphery and extending outwardly therefrom; and a rack member comprising a sheet of iserving as a bearing forarotary member, a rotary card member having a pluralityof radially card board folded parallel to one edge thereof to embrace the edge of said tooth bearing member, andhaving space Fholes along the fold through which the teeth extend, randmeansfor mounting said rack member :for motion parallel to said folded edge.

6. A mechanical element-for animated toys comprising a vcardmemb'er having a hole therein serving as a bearing "for-a rotarymember, a rotary card member, comprising -a "front element having a plurality of radially extending tabs concentrically spaced about the axis of rotation and adapted to; extend throughsaid hole and serve as a journal therein, and aback memberh'aving slots to fit over said tabs on the other side of said card member, said back member having a circular periphery and teeth equally spaced ber, and having space holes along the fold through which the teeth extend, cooperating meansupomsaid rack member and said card memberto; permit relativesliding motionparallel to ,said folded edge comprising slots in one of said members andtabs upon the other member extending-through said slots.

7. An animation comprising a card member, a ing teeth and a folded strip having openings in the rotary member pivoted to rotate upon the face fold to receive said teeth to serve as a rack, and of the card and having a portion extending means for slidably mounting said folded strip on through said card having radially extending teeth, the back of said card. and a folded strip having openings in the fold 5 9. A card member having a rotary element to receive said teeth to serve as a rack, and thereon, radially extending teeth up i el means for slidably mounting said folded strip on merit and a folded strip having openings in the the back of said card. fold to receive said teeth to serve as a rack, and

8. A card member having a rotary member pivmeansfor siidably mounting said folded strip on oted to rotate upon the face of the card having a 10 the back of said card. I

portion extending through a slit to the back of the GEORGE J. ZAFFO.

card, said rotary member having radially extend- ALEXANDER DUTCH. 

